Balancing the books is an essential pre-requisite to making the necessary investment in infrastructure,
equipment and in staff, allowing us to continue to deliver high quality services to our population.
Once again the DHB has delivered its health and disability services, both in the community and in our hospitals,
within budget. Quite an achievement given the constrained economic climate.
The past year has also seen us work hard to achieve better results in the Government’s health targets.
We exceeded the elective discharges target by 419, achieving 8,776, an extra 5 per cent, and achieved within
budget.
Another part of this outstanding performance was that we reduced the number of people who had waited
longer than six months for surgery from 253 people in June 2011 to zero in June 2012.
This year we introduced a PCI (cardiac angioplasty) service at Tauranga Hospital. Previously this procedure
was only available from Waikato Hospital, but with oversight from Waikato we have to date performed this
procedure over 50 times. This has not only saved travel times and costs for patients but has sped up their
access to definitive treatment.
At the 2012 Staff Recognition Awards we acknowledged staff who had served up to 42 years’ service and three
sets of husband and wife recipients.
Also this year we eagerly followed Karen Hanlen, a physiotherapist at Whakatane Hospital as she began an
international campaign to get named as the sole women’s mountain biking member of the New Zealand
Olympic Team. A crash and a puncture saw her finish 18th in London. We are proud of you Karen.
370 kilos were lost by staff in the 2011 Biggest Loser 12 week challenge. The challenge began with 51 teams
and 141 individuals, with only a small number of individuals dropping out.
Working in health is challenging, exciting and rewarding. I am fortunate to head a team of dedicated staff who
do care about their patients.
The DHB is again in good shape as we move into 2012/13.
Phil Cammish
Chief Executive Officer
Bay of Plenty District Health Board
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